Business Today July 11,2000
WASHINGTON - Americans borrowed money freely in May, ringing up the biggest rise in consumer credit since the beginning of the year, the Federal Reserve said Monday.

Heinz to introduce new green ketchup, bottle
PITTSBURGH {AP} In an uncertain world, there always seemed to be a few things you could count on: the sky being blue, grass growing green and ketchup pouring out red.
But the world seems a little less certain today after a jolt from Heinz: The company so thick into ketchup its own logo is red is introducing the unthinkable green ketchup.

E-Graduates
E-commerce courses are being added to business school curricula faster than you can say "information technology."
And just like in the real world of business, colleges admit they're figuring it out on the fly.

Competing Drug Plans
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE will judge which Medicare prescription drug plan they like best - President Clinton's $253 billion government-run plan or the Republicans' $159 billion competition-driven plan.

Bell Center Expands
SOUTHWESTERN BELL WIRELESS has learned what other high-tech companies need to know -- that Lubbock has a capable work force and real estate to meet expansion needs.

Officers Did Good Job
LUBBOCK POLICE OFFICERS showed great restraint last week by not shooting back when three youths opened fire with BB guns that looked like large caliber handguns and by not firing a shot during the pursuit and apprehension of the trio.
Sgt. Scott Hudgens was correct when he said, "This really could have resulted in the death or serious injury of these kids because they were displaying these very realistic pellet guns."

Leaky Roof Repaired
IT ALMOST TOOK as long to install a new roof atop the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum than it did to build the complex 44 years ago, but the new red roof has proven to be water tight -- a major accomplishment given the leaky history of the building.
Construction of the Coliseum began in early 1954, and the facility opened May 1, 1956. Funding for a new roof was approved in 1993, but the work didn't begin until October 1998. City officials are expected to sign off on completion of the project in about a month -- eight months after the scheduled completion date.

Bridges becomes Buddhist billionaire
NEW YORK - Beau Bridges has joined the goofballs on ''Beggars and Choosers'' (9 p.m., SHO, TV-MA), now in its second season of lampooning the nincompoops who run the television networks.
Beau Bridges, who was so good in the largely ignored 1998 summer series ''Maximum Bob,'' is perfectly cast here as Dan Falco, an Internet billionaire with an outsized ego and split personality who buys up controlling interest in the LGT network. One minute he's a touchy-feely Zen Buddhist and, the next, he's a ruthless Wall Street shark.

Album of everything still reigns
I once had a girlfriend who insisted that ''Revolver'' was the best Beatles album ever -- certainly the only Beatles album you'd need if you were trapped on that proverbial desert island where great sound systems matter more than food and shelter.

Brits want Hollywood apology
LONDON {AP} Already smarting from Hollywood's revisionist bent in a succession of quasi-historical films, Britons are demanding a public apology and a retraction from the makers of Mel Gibson's latest blockbuster, "The Patriot."

Provocative Indigo Girls can't just do the music
LOS ANGELES {AP} Mention the Indigo Girls' latest cause boycotting South Carolina until it stopped flying the Confederate flag and one is likely to provoke a surprisingly nervous chuckle from Amy Ray.

Show portrays England's 'Finest Hour'
NEW YORK Imagine an island nation. Its allies have been crushed by a cruel and seemingly invincible power.
Its army has just bid a hasty retreat from certain destruction and has abandoned most of its weaponry on foreign shores. Its cities are subject to merciless bombardment and its population fears imminent invasion. No, this is not the plot of "Independence Day." This was the state of England, 60 summers ago, after Hitler's armies had conquered France, and seemed on the verge of enslaving the British Isles. Embattled England's stirring and resolute defiance under the leadership of Winston Churchill is the subject of "Finest Hour" (8 p.m., KTXT), a two-part documentary concluding next Monday. This inspiring film weaves together military and diplomatic history with personal accounts of individual Britons in the Royal Air Force and Women's Auxiliary.

Ticket Sales Solution
According to William Kerns' column (A-J, 6-25) tickets were sent to Amarillo and Dallas due to smaller shows that might need help for ticket sales. This makes sense in a general way, but there is a simple solution. Give the people of Lubbock 24 hours to sell out the show, whoever it may be, and then divide up the rest for other cities to sell.
Lubbock citizens would have the first chance to see a local concert and the promoters would have a chance for a sold-out show even for the smaller acts.

Arena Not Senior Friendly
I hate to burst Lubbock's bubble, but the United Spirit Arena stinks. We went to the Gaither concert on Friday night. Oh, yes, you have elevators you go up to walk back down, if you get on the elevator. We stood in line forever. Finally, we got inside the door to be told we would have to go back out and go in the next door and come around the other way or go up the stairs. We finally went up the stairs, found our section and had to go down half way of the section. My mother is 77 years old and has had a hip and knee replacement. She is still on a cane.

Mil Gracias, Newspapers!
Please allow me this opportunity to thank our local neighborhood newspapers, as individuals and organizations, who try so hard to make a better way of life for every citizen in Lubbock. It is nice to know that when The A-J can't always recognize our efforts, it is our local newspapers that keep us informed throughout our community. If it were not for the Southwest Digest, El Editor, West Texas Hispanic News, El Bilingue, El Sol, A-J and any other that I may not think of at this point, we would not always know what really goes on in our community and neighborhoods.

A Horrible Incident
My heart is broken for the family who lost their 4-year-old son. It was a horrible incident.

Thanks For Being There
I have read several times in the letters to the editor of people thanking people for helping in an accident. I never thought I would find myself in that position, however, at 3:30 on June 30, there I was. I experienced several firsts that day.

'Better Not Mow Grass'
Saturday morning I recall telling my wife I would mow and edge the grass. She said I had better think twice. The Lubbock Central Appraisal District might consider that as an improvement and raise our appraised value.

Get-Rich-Quick Lawsuit
Re: A-J Business article "Who's To Blame?" (A-J, 6-25). I have previously bid on items on eBay and anyone who would bid and purchase an "autographed" item, in any category for big money, without having it authenticated is not using their head. It's just common sense.

Article On Judge
Is the story "County halts alcohol reimbursements" (A-J, 6-27), regarding Judge Tom Head's purchase of two beers at taxpayer expense, supposed to be The Avalanche-Journal's example of investigative reporting? If a pattern of abuse was revealed it would be worth printing.

Bike Safety Gear Needed
I was appalled when I opened The A-J Wednesday, June 21 and found a picture of a handsome young boy "practicing high-flying bicycle stunts." Why was I shocked? Take another look at the picture for yourself. Do you see what is wrong? Maybe you need to look again. The young man does not have on any safety gear for this sort of activity.

Family's Pet Killed
As a citizen of our town, I feel it is my duty to speak out warning others of an incident which happened in my own yard. A neighbor who lives across the alley owns two large German shepherds. The dogs often run free. These dogs are animal killers. They will gnaw, dig and break through people's fences to get their bloodthirsty mouths on other animals.

Nation Has Problems
"All factions of the Republican Party need to pull together ... " said an A-J editorial (6-13), warning local Republicans that the weight the Reform Party will this year have in the national elections is of "... no small importance ..."
This alarmed assessment by the partisan A-J seems accurate and fully justified -- considering that independents are bolting both major parties in droves, and that college students by the thousands are signing petitions to get an independent -- any independent -- on the presidential ballot this year.

Diminutive island deer in danger
BIG PINE KEY, Fla. {AP} Many of the diminutive deer roaming this island are so brazen they'll walk right up to people expecting a handout.
That can be a problem, particularly since only about 600 to 800 key deer exist and about 1 million people drive through here on their way to Key West each year. Of the 114 deer that died last year, about half were hit by cars.

Archaeologists preserve Jamaica's past
INVERNESS, Jamaica {AP} Fragments of 1,400-year-old red clay pottery glisten from mounds of dirt dumped beside the gravelly beginnings of a road running through the Jamaican bush over what was once a Taino Indian village.

Get Ready For the Road
Summer's the time to load up the family and the car and head off to some faraway destination full of fun and sun. For many, a summer vacation just wouldn't be complete without the family pet.
While Fido can't call shotgun and Fluffy may not like her seat partner, remember that traveling with pets can require special precautions to ensure a happy trip in which everyone arrives home healthy.

Commission considers cutting meal allowance
Lubbock County commissioners are considering adopting a policy giving employees less money to eat on while conducting business out of town but more leeway in filing their expenses.

News briefs July 10,2000
Wayne Turnage, 55, of Westbrook was in serious but stable condition Sunday at Covenant Medical Center. He was run over by a backhoe June 25 in northwest Mitchell County.

Mum's the final answer
Like many visitors to New York, Chris Reed and his wife, Gay, recently saw the Big Apple's famous tourist attractions: The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street and the World Trade Center.

Woman escapes fire from attic fan
A Lubbock woman escaped injury Sunday when an electrical short caused an attic fan to catch fire, according to Lubbock district fire chief Steve Dodorizzi.

LULAC set to confront Hart schools
HART - LULAC representatives plan to attend today's Hart school board meeting to raise questions about a teacher accused of racism toward students.
At the board's June meeting, several parents complained about Jim Tucker, secondary agriculture science teacher and adviser for Future Farmers of America.

KIDSLINE camp mixes fun, safety
Twelve-year-old Tanner arrived at the first day of a Summer Safety Camp on Monday ready for water balloon fights - and to learn a few safety tips, as well.

County denies raise for absent constable
Constable Emery Waters was the only elected official to not receive a pay raise from Lubbock County commissioners Monday.
Waters earns $26,878 and Commissioner Nathan Ziegler said he thinks that's too much.

A beautiful business
Lubbock will soon be inundated with young women in search of the title and crown of Miss Texas USA.

Advanced nursing preferred
TORRINGTON, Conn. {AP} Three years ago, Mary Poll's blood pressure was dangerously high 180 over 104 but she was living on a fixed income and without health insurance and couldn't go for checkups as often as needed.

Early symptoms sought in Alzheimer's cure race
WASHINGTON {AP} Alzheimer's disease is increasing so fast that more than 22 million people worldwide will be affected by 2025, experts warned Sunday. They urged new research to spot the very earliest symptoms subtle ones that can emerge a decade before true dementia hits and hunt for ways to protect these people's brains.

Teen-agers get message about condoms, AIDS
DURBAN, South Africa {AP} U.S. teen-agers are clearly getting the message about AIDS, new data show. Compared to a decade ago, they wait longer to have sex, use condoms and have fewer partners.
The data, released Monday, are part of a generally encouraging view of the AIDS epidemic in the United States that contrasts with the gloomy picture from much of the rest of the world, especially Africa.

Reservation jails getting overcrowded
WASHINGTON {AP} On many nights, the small jail on Arizona's White Mountain Apache reservation is packed to twice its 46-inmate capacity with people convicted or accused of domestic violence, drunken driving and other crimes.

Clinton realizes difficulty of peace task
WASHINGTON {AP} About to kick off a last-ditch summit, President Clinton said Monday there is no more difficult conflict in the world than the dispute he will try to settle between Israel and the Palestinians.

Bush admits GOP's failures at NAACP convention
BALTIMORE (AP) - George W. Bush, facing a skeptical audience, told the NAACP on Monday he recognizes the Republican Party has not always been seen as friendly toward blacks. He promised to work to improve relations, saying, ''Our nation is harmed when we let our differences divide us.''
''Some in my party have avoided the NAACP and ... some in the NAACP have avoided my party,'' Bush said, pausing between the two statements, drawing laughter and applause. ''Before we get to the future, we must acknowledge our past.''

President apt to OK phase two
WASHINGTON (AP) - Clinton administration officials said Sunday they expect the president will decide whether to go ahead with the next phase of a national missile defense system and not leave it up to his successor.
Senators raised concerns about spending billions on the proposed system, which failed an important test early Saturday, and some suggested the United States faced more potential threats from terrorists on the ground than missiles in the air.

Foot-long rats invade building
NEW YORK {AP} Swarms of foot-long, mangy rats are the stuff of nightmares, but for residents of the Baruch Houses it's just another evening in lower Manhattan.

Democrats say Clinton to veto GOP tax bill
WASHINGTON {AP} Congressional Republicans intend to pass marriage penalty tax relief on a politically inspired schedule that requires President Clinton to sign or veto the measure on the eve of the GOP National Convention.

Closing arguments expected in smoking trial
MIAMI {AP} Jurors in Florida's landmark smokers trial already have placed the blame for hundreds of thousands of ailing smokers on cigarette makers. Now they could punish tobacco like no U.S. jury ever has.

Hazel McCrary
BIG SPRING (Special) Graveside services for Hazel E. McCrary, 86, of Lubbock, a former longtime Big Spring resident, will be at 11:30 a.m. today at Trinity Memorial Park with the Rev. Dianne Brown, minister of the First Presbyterian Church, officiating.

G.C. Clifft
LAMESA (Special) Services for G.C. Clifft Jr., 85, of Lamesa will be at 2 p.m. today at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Gerald Parsons, pastor of Sunset Baptist Church, officiating.

Addie Murphy
MATADOR (Special) Services for Addie M. Murphy, 95, of Matador will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church-Matador with the Rev. Royce Jennings, pastor, officiating.

Sedahlia Smith
LAMESA (Special) Services for Sedahlia Smith, 93, of Lamesa will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Lamesa Church of Christ with Calvin Smith officiating.

Flavious Alexander
SPUR (Special) Services for Flavious Lee Alexander, 76, of Spur will be at 2 p.m. today at the Assembly of God Church in Spur with the Revs. Timothy Anderson and Bob Wright and Zeb Alexander and Jeff Anderson officiating.

Ashley Del Valle
Graveside services for Ashley Nicole Del Valle, infant daughter of Humberto and Grace Del Valle of Lubbock, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Babyland section of Resthaven Memorial Park under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home.

Sara Ornelas
Graveside services for Sara Luisa Ornelas, infant daughter of Thomas and Evelyn Ornelas of Lubbock, will be 10 a.m. today at Resthaven Memorial Park with the Rev. Ramirez of St. Patrick's Church officiating.

Sara Ornelas
Graveside services for Sara Louisa Ornelas, infant daughter of Thomas and Evelyn Ornelus of Lubbock, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Resthaven Memorial Park with Father Ramirez of St. Patricks officiating.

Pat Adamek
SOUTHLAND (Special) Prayer vigil for Pat Adamek, 59, of Southland will be at 7 p.m. Monday in Englunds Chapel with Rev. Lawrence Hemp officiating. Mass will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Joseph Catholic Church with Hemp officiating.

Norman Singletary
Services for Norman Anthony Singletary, 31, of Carlsbad, Calif., and formerly of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Parkway Drive Church of Christ with Gerald Jackson officiating.

Hazel McCrary
BIG SPRING (Special) Graveside services for Hazel E. McCrary, 86, of Lubbock will be at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Trinity Memorial Park with the Rev. Dianne Brown, minister of the First Presbyterian Church, officiating.

Mary Darden
Services for Mary E. Darden, 79, of Lubbock will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Abby Chapel of Resthaven Funeral Home.

Ed Wilkins
PLAINVIEW (Special) Services for Ed Wilkins, 77, of Plainview will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Lemons Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Toby Huckabee, pastor of the Illinois Chapel Baptist Church in Prairie Grove, Ark., officiating.

Aurora Olivares
WOODROW (Special) Rosary for Aurora Nicole Olivares, infant daughter of Rigoberto and Misty Olivares of Lubbock, will be said at 7 p.m. today at Chapel of Angels Funeral Home.

Marie Roberts
ANDREWS (Special) Services for Marie Roberts, 74, of Andrews will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Second Baptist Church in Andrews with the Rev. Ivy Shelton, pastor, officiating and Sharon Suttle of Midland assisting.

James Fergason
Services for James Frederick Fergason, 69, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Central Christian Church in Mesa, Ariz., with Jim Fergason Jr. officiating.

Alison McLain
FLOYDADA (Special) Memorial services for Alison Lee McLain, 46, of Colorado Springs, Colo., will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Wendell Horn, pastor, officiating.

James Fergason
Services for James Frederick Fergason, 69, of Lubbock will be held 10 a.m. July 17 at Central Christian Church in Mesa, Ariz., with Jim Fergason Jr. officiating.

C. Lawton Smith
Funeral services for C. Lawton Smith, 89, of Corynth, were held Thursday at Laurel Land Memorial Chapel in Dallas.

Naomi McDonald
GRANBURY (Special) Services for Naomi McDonald, 82, of Granbury and formerly of Levelland will be at 10:30 a.m. in the Geo. C. Price Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Jerry Howe, pastor of Second Baptist Church of Levelland, officiating.

Gary Skelton
HEREFORD (Special) Services for Gary Skelton, 26, of Herford will be at 2:30 p.m. today at the Avenue Baptist Church with the Rev. Jim Bulin officiating.

Melvin Sanders Sr.
GUYMON, Okla. (Special) Services for Melvin Sanders Sr., 76, of Guymon, Okla., will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at he Oslo Lutheran Church northwest of Gruver with Rebecca Sanchez and John Chandler officiating.

Lucille Noble
PADUCAH (Special) Services for Lucille Noble, 63, of Paducah will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church with the Rev. William Ames officiating.

Morning Blotter
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these or any other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.
Crime:

Morning Blotter
According to the Lubbock Police Department summary, it said July 13 had "heavy rain" resulting in "moderate temporary flooding at some intersections, and brief power outages during the shift. Traffic was light and no major problems were encountered as a result of the storm."

Two aggravated assault reports filed monday night
As of 7:00 a.m. today, the Lubbock Police officers had filed 24 reports for Monday night. At least three additional charges were listed on these reports, brining the total number of reported infractions to 27.

Tally of LPD reports
Reports the Lubbock Police Department filed and released before 7:00 a.m. this morning include:

Morning Blotter
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these or any other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.
Crime:

Sosa, Cubbies take series from Sox 9-6
CHICAGO The Chicago Cubs didn't win the home run derby. They did win the game Sunday, beating the crosstown-rival White Sox 9-6 to take two of three at Wrigley Field in the wrapup of their spirited interleague series.

Wimbledon results
WIMBLEDON, England {AP} Results Sunday of the $12.6 million Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club:

Cards clip Giants 8-7
ST. LOUIS {AP} Pat Hentgen allowed two hits in five scoreless innings and Fernando Tatis had a two-run homer as the St. Louis Cardinals ended the San Francisco Giants' eight-game winning streak with an 8-7 victory Sunday.

Williams sweep Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Nine Grand Slams, and counting.
The Williams sisters are wracking up major titles and promising many more to come.

All-Star game tonight minus major league's top talents
ATLANTA (AP) - Joe Torre always could count on Boomer in big spots.
So in an All-Star game hit by so many injuries that it's become the ''All-Scar'' game, the New York Yankees manager had no trouble picking a starting pitcher for the American League.

Nomar, Sox slam Braves
BOSTON Nomar Garciaparra homered twice and scored three times, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday and snapping a five-game home losing streak.

Irvin calls it a career
IRVING (AP) - Great hands made Michael Irvin one of the best receivers in NFL history. A loud mouth made him one of the game's great showboats.

Lane returned to Charlotte to raise money
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Fred Lane had returned to Charlotte the day he was shot and killed by his wife so he could raise some cash, not to reconcile with her, Lane's father says.

Sosa beats Griffey Jr. to become home run champ
ATLANTA (AP) - Step aside Junior, Sammy's the man.
Slammin' Sammy Sosa ended Ken Griffey Jr.'s two-year reign as Home Run Derby champion, hitting the longest, loudest and largest number of shots at Turner Field on Monday night.

Lucky 13 is Grand for Sampras
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Rarely emotional, Pete Sampras stood on Centre Court with his eyes glistening from tears as he scanned the stands in search of his mother and father.
They had never seen him win a Grand Slam, and now here he was Sunday, king of the slams, and he wanted his parents to share in his greatest moment.

Changes abound at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - With flurries of volleys and the clashing of rackets, with their high-fives and giggles and joyous smiles, Venus and Serena Williams closed the show at Wimbledon's ''Millennium Championships.''

Stewart captures New England 300
LOUDON, N.H. Tony Stewart again had a fuel problem but got lucky Sunday and won a rain-shortened race dedicated to rival Kenny Irwin, who died while practicing two days earlier.

Armstrong surges into Tour lead
LOURDES-HAUTACAM, France (AP) - This was where Lance Armstrong wanted to be, in the mountains and in striking distance of the lead in the Tour de France.

All-Star notebook
Two days before the All-Star game, baseball commissioner Bud Selig promised there will be change in the next labor contract, a demand that points toward a possible work stoppage in 2002.

Duncan reportedly to stay with Spurs
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Maybe the begging worked.
After weeks of pleas from fans to stay with their team, free-agent forward Tim Duncan reportedly is ready to sign a new deal with the San Antonio Spurs, spurning the Orlando Magic and the opportunity to play with Grant Hill.

Deaths create racing controversy
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) New Hampshire International Speedway is investigating its second death in as many months, and one critic said Monday that NASCAR should consider suspending races there.

Hart parents confront board over racial slur
HART - School board members assured Hart residents Monday night that if teacher Jim Tucker refers to Hispanics as ''damn Mexicans'' again, he'll be out of a job.
But some parents who attended Monday's school board meeting wanted to know why Tucker was given a second chance.

EAA chapter safeguards joy of flying
LAS CRUCES, N.M. {AP}When aviation was a fledgling industry, it was populated by mad inventors building weird-looking machines in barns and back yards.
The Las Cruces Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association is nothing like that but it does preserve some of the romance of flyers who love their machines and get satisfaction out of building them for themselves.

Firefighters remember Los Alamos
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. {AP} Helping Los Alamos cope with the ravages of wildfire left National Guard troops with a mixed bag of memories. They saw shock and heartbreak but also the will to endure.

Church delegates reject proposal
CINCINNATI {AP} Two women were in the running to become the African Methodist Episcopal Church's first female bishop Monday, but the delegates turned aside a proposal that would have guaranteed one of them would be elected.
The two were among 41 candidates for three open bishop positions for the 2.3 million-member denomination, the nation's oldest black church group which traces its founding to 1787. AME officials said 1,876 delegates would be voting. A majority vote is required to elect a bishop and multiple ballots are sometimes necessary.

Internet looking to add more domains
NEW YORK {AP} Dot-movie. Dot-protest. Even dot-sex?
The organization that coordinates the Internet's address books meets this week in Yokohama, Japan, to consider adding domain names such as these to the familiar .com, .net and .org.

Coronado wins Wood Bat crown
Ben Jaime likes to save his best for last.
After winning three straight games to reach the championship contest of the third annual Wood Bat baseball tournament, the Coronado Cubs coach pulled an ace from the stack to finish the job Sunday against Odessa Permian.

Two Lady Raider signees to play in TGCA game
Two Texas Tech signees are among the players scheduled to play today during the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star softball game in Arlington.
Second baseman Britney Stolle from Round Rock and outfielder Tracy Cartier from Austin Bowie are on the West roster for the 6 p.m. game at the Dr Pepper Youth Ballpark on the Nolan Ryan Expressway.

Field of crosses honors memory of loved ones
FORT WORTH {AP} About three dozen people gathered Sunday under the warm Texas sun in a mostly overgrown field to erect five new crosses and display an angel in memory of young relatives and friends who've been murdered.

Summer brings increase in water accidents
HOUSTON {AP} A 36-year-old man has died while spear fishing off Port Aransas and a 9-year-old Houston boy is presumed dead off the coast of Galveston after a series of water-related accidents off the Texas coast last weekend.

Jury allowed to hear government audiotapes from cult compound
WACO {AP} The judge in the Waco trial ruled Monday that the jury can hear government audiotapes in which the cult members were supposedly heard saying, "Pour the fuel" and "Light the fire" before their compound burned to the ground.
The ruling came as the $675 million wrongful-death trial entered its fourth week. Relatives and surviving members of the Branch Davidians contend the government used excessive force against the cult and contributed to the blaze.

Emergency funding taps Texas' surplus
AUSTIN {AP} It's unlikely that any state services or programs will have to be cut because of a possible shortfall in the budget surplus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said Monday.

Biblical Arts Center cancels Knippers' show
DALLAS {AP} A test audience's negative reaction to the nudity in an exhibit by Edward Knippers and one painting's perceived anti-abortion theme has lead to the cancellation of a show of the artist's work, the Biblical Arts Center said.

Old Texas law prohibits online auto brokering
FORT WORTH {AP} Texas consumers cannot buy new cars online, according to a representative of the state's Motor Vehicle Division who cited a 1960s-era provision of state law that outlaws car brokers and thus prohibits some online car-buying services.
Under the law, only licensed auto dealers can sell cars, and only a dealer with a manufacturer's franchise can sell new cars.

Several dead after landslide
MANILA, Philippines {AP} A mountain of garbage loosened by rain collapsed and burst into flames Monday at Manila's biggest dump, flattening squatters' shanties and killing 31 people, officials said.
Some 29 other people were injured and at least 68 remained missing late Monday, Red Cross spokeswoman Tess Usapdin said. The victims were poor people who earn a living by scavenging garbage in the Payatas dump.

Albright says U.S. not to blame for genocide
WASHINGTON {AP} Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Sunday that an international panel was wrong to blame the United States for failing to prevent the slaughter of more than 500,000 people in Rwanda.

Two leaders consult before summit
BOURG AL-ARAB, Egypt {AP} Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat consulted Sunday with Egypt's president the latest in a series of regional diplomatic whistle-stops by Israeli and Palestinian leaders preparing for a summit called to hash out their toughest disputes.

Tear gas-induced stampede kills 12 at Zimbabwe soccer game
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Police fired tear gas at unruly fans during a World Cup qualifying soccer game Sunday between Zimbabwe and South Africa, setting off a stampede that killed 12 people.
''We have 12 bodies'' as a result of the stampede, a police officer at Harare's main hospital said on condition of anonymity. A doctor said most of the deaths were from internal injuries consistent with being crushed.

Barak survives vote, heads to summit
JERUSALEM {AP} His plane fueled and waiting, Prime Minister Ehud Barak narrowly survived a no-confidence vote Monday and rushed off to a high-stakes summit at Camp David, badly weakened but still convinced the Israeli people trust him to make peace.

N. Ireland endures IRA car bombings
PORTADOWN, Northern Ireland {AP} Offering bitter words but no violence, an estimated 3,000 Protestant hard-liners marched Sunday to a British army barricade that prevented them from parading through the main Catholic district of this fiercely Protestant town.

Barak's coalition collapses
JERUSALEM {AP} With stunning speed, Prime Minister Ehud Barak's painstakingly constructed coalition government collapsed around him Sunday, threatening his ability both to govern and to make peace on the eve of a high-stakes summit with the Palestinians.

Pope denounces gay pride parade
VATICAN CITY {AP} Pope John Paul II bitterly denounced the gay pride festival in Rome as offensive to Christians and said Sunday that homosexual acts are "contrary to natural law."